We can influence our lives, but we do not control our lives. There are circumstances, unexpected tragedies, that fall upon us, that we cannot control. But we can control how we respond – with wisdom and faith.
Broken hearts, weak hearts, and strong hearts. This can also describe faith: broken, weak, or strong. When we look at Ecclesiastes and Luke in our individual lives on earth, and how it's connected to our spiritual lives we can see not only where our hearts are, but also where our faith is at.
We see fear talked about in different ways when we look at Ecclesiastes and John. Ecclesiastes says "it will be well with those who fear God." In the Gospel of John, the disciples were hiding after the resurrection "for fear of the Jews." So, what is exactly is fear, and how does it connect to a healthy "fear of the Lord"?
Fear of the virus turns our world upside down and leaves us scared, anxious, paralyze, and powerless. The followers of Jesus felt the exact same way on that first Easter Sunday. Jesus appeared to them and gave them peace, purpose, and power. He does the same for us.
From Christ's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, we journey with Him all the way to the cross and find out exactly why we can thank God for Good Friday. Three little words: It is finished.
In the Garden of Gethsemene, we learn a lot about prayer and a lot about the cup of God’s wrath.
Hosanna means save us. The people waving palm branches may have expected a different kind of saving than the one Jesus came to bring. So, even if we question God's actions in our lives, He knows exactly what He's doing.
The Teacher is going to get us thinking and asking questions about what we believe. Why? So we can make adjustments and get healed up, tuned up, and back to enjoying life with God.
God wants us to live as His children and He gives us the grace, the strength, and the wisdom to do that. This chapter of Ecclesiastes gives us simple proverbs that we can remember and live by.
It’s hard to be content. Envy doesn’t help. If Jesus was like us He would have never stepped off His throne to save us.
When the temptation of greed leaves us never being satisfied, how can we ever find satisfaction in this life? How can we be content if we have everything, or if we have nothing?
The Bible is far more concerned about how you received, given, spent, and shared your wealth than how much wealth you have.
Solomon asks us to check our motives and heart when meeting with God. Practically this means sitting in silence to listen to God's Word, read and preached. Then we can respond with gratitude in song and petition.
What makes someone foolish or wise, especially in regard to the truth of God's Word? Listen to and hear that answer.
We hear the words "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and they remind us of funerals, death. We hear the words "to dust you are and to dust you shall return" on Ash Wednesday, and it reminds us of the consequences of our sins, is death. We come for a time of confession and repentance of our sin, but we also focus on the Absolution, Christ's forgiveness for our sins.
Wisdom is like gold, hard to find. But there are places we find it and where God gives it.
People can drive us crazy. They can hurt us, or use us, or they can love us. We are going to take a crash course in people and also learn about the great gift of family and friends and how important it is to be a family and a friend to the people God has placed in our lives. Two are better than one.
King Solomon is looking over his kingdom and sees the struggle and oppression of his people in a world that is often so unjust. One day God will judge. In the meantime, we are encouraged to comfort the oppressed and find opportunities to enjoy the work that God has given us to do.
As Solomon wrestles with the injustices of life under the sun, we don't look to our own lives and experiences for an answer, rather we turn to God's Word.
When you know what season you are in you can act accordingly. God is going to make everything beautiful in its time.
Book of Ecclesiastes - There is a season for every matter under heaven, and today we look at a time to speak and a time to keep silence, specifically within the context of worship, in the divine service. We will find that worship is more than just speaking and listening, and keeping silent, it is God's service to us.
We spend the better part of our life learning and working, only to end up accomplishing little and dying. What makes life meaningful? SomeOne. Would you say that you primarily see God as a teacher who wants you to learn, a boss who wants you to work, or Father who wants to enjoy life with you?
Solomon filled his life with many worldly pleasures, only to find them all meaningless. Jesus gives our lives meaning and fulfillment. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Nothing really matters when life is lived apart from God. But a life lived with God makes everything meaningful and valuable.
Solomon is considered one of the wisest men who ever lived. Before picking out his casket he wrote one of the most brutally honest, painfully helpful books ever written on life.
I can’t get no satisfaction! That’s so true, from our stuff! But why? Solomon would know. He had everything! Yet none of it satisfied. Do the math. Everything - God = Nothing. Or Nothing + God = everything. Sunday Morning Bible Study with Pastor Brad.
As the Christ child is born in Bethlehem and placed in the manger, the mighty dragon waits to devour Him.
The greatest gift at Christmas is Jesus. The second greatest gift at Christmas, might just be forgiveness. - Christmas Eve Service
During the Sunday School Christmas Service there were six short messages shared to expand on the children's program.
What does this world need more than anything? Think about it. Now let’s see what God will provide.
